[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"nav-categories":3,"article-spotify-learns-a-lesson-free-users-are-the-engine-of-growth-thanks-to-youtube-s-influence":70},{"data":4},[5,37,57,64],{"name":6,"slug":7,"categories":8},"Productivity","productivity",[9,13,17,21,25,29,33],{"id":10,"title":11,"slug":12},17,"Branding","branding",{"id":14,"title":15,"slug":16},19,"Marketing","marketing",{"id":18,"title":19,"slug":20},20,"Work","work",{"id":22,"title":23,"slug":24},34,"Community","community",{"id":26,"title":27,"slug":28},21,"For newbies","for-newbies",{"id":30,"title":31,"slug":32},24,"Investment","investment",{"id":34,"title":35,"slug":36},22,"Finance","finance",{"name":38,"slug":39,"categories":40},"Tech","tech",[41,45,49,53],{"id":42,"title":43,"slug":44},28,"Technology","technology",{"id":46,"title":47,"slug":48},32,"Artificial Intelligence","artificial-intelligence",{"id":50,"title":51,"slug":52},26,"Security and protection","security-and-protection",{"id":54,"title":55,"slug":56},31,"YouTube Blog","youtube-blog",{"name":58,"slug":59,"categories":60},"News","news",[61],{"id":62,"title":58,"slug":63},18,"quasanews",{"name":65,"slug":66,"categories":67},"Business","business",[68],{"id":69,"title":65,"slug":66},16,{"post":71,"published_news":96,"popular_news":162,"categories":232},{"title":72,"description":73,"meta_title":72,"meta_description":74,"meta_keywords":75,"text":76,"slug":77,"created_at":78,"publish_at":78,"formatted_created_at":79,"category_id":69,"links":80,"view_type":85,"video_url":86,"views":87,"likes":88,"lang":89,"comments_count":88,"category":90},"Spotify Learns a Lesson: Free Users Are the Engine of Growth Thanks to YouTube’s Influence","For years, Spotify subjected its free users to a frustrating experience, limiting their ability to choose tracks, imposing shuffle mode, and bombarding them with ads. This approach, designed to nudge users toward premium subscriptions, stood in stark contrast to the evolving landscape of streaming services. Then came YouTube, which demonstrated a game-changing truth to the industry: freemium users are not just a burden—they are a powerful force and the locomotive driving growth. The message is clear: if you want something from these users, you’d better approach them with respect.","For years, Spotify subjected its free users to a frustrating experience, limiting their ability to choose tracks, imposing shuffle mode, and bombarding them with ads.","This approach, designed to nudge users toward premium subscriptions, stood in stark contrast to the evolving landscape of streaming services.","\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>For years, \u003Ca href=\"https://quasa.io/media/spotify-s-long-awaited-lossless-audio-finally-drops-a-premium-perk-but-not-quite-hi-res-glory\">Spotify\u003C/a> subjected its free users to a frustrating experience, limiting their ability to choose tracks, imposing shuffle mode, and bombarding them with ads.\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cpicture class=\"image-align-left\">\u003Csource srcset=\"https://cdn.quasa.io/photos/00/2025-09-15_16-57-55.webp\" type=\"image/webp\">\u003Cimg alt=\"Spotify Learns a Lesson: Free Users Are the Engine of Growth Thanks to YouTube’s Influence\" class=\"image-align-left\" height=\"166\" src=\"https://cdn.quasa.io/photos/00/2025-09-15_16-57-55.jpg\" width=\"300\" />\u003C/picture>This approach, designed to nudge users toward premium subscriptions, stood in stark contrast to the evolving landscape of streaming services. Then came YouTube, which demonstrated a game-changing truth to the industry: freemium users are not just a burden — they are a powerful force and the locomotive driving growth. The message is clear: if you want something from these users, you’d better approach them with respect.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>YouTube’s success with its freemium model, offering ad-supported access to a vast library of music and videos, has forced competitors to rethink their strategies. By catering to free users with flexibility and value, \u003Ca href=\"https://quasa.io/media/youtube-rolls-out-neural-dubbing-for-all-creators-and-videos\">YouTube\u003C/a> has built a massive audience that serves as a pipeline to its premium offerings.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>This shift has pressured subscription-based platforms like \u003Ca href=\"https://quasa.io/media/youtuber-ryan-trahan-hits-spotify-podcast-charts-at-103-without-a-podcast\">Spotify\u003C/a> to adapt, recognizing that alienating free users could stifle long-term growth. The lesson? Respecting the freemium base with meaningful features can foster loyalty and encourage eventual upgrades, rather than driving users to competitors or piracy.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cpicture class=\"image-align-right\">\u003Csource srcset=\"https://cdn.quasa.io/photos/00/2025-09-15_16-57-37.webp\" type=\"image/webp\">\u003Cimg alt=\"Spotify Learns a Lesson: Free Users Are the Engine of Growth Thanks to YouTube’s Influence\" class=\"image-align-right\" height=\"168\" src=\"https://cdn.quasa.io/photos/00/2025-09-15_16-57-37.jpg\" width=\"300\" />\u003C/picture>Taking this cue, \u003Ca href=\"https://quasa.io/media/spotify-turns-into-a-messenger-even-catching-you-in-the-parking-lot\">Spotify\u003C/a> has finally made a significant concession. As of now, free users can select any track they desire, breaking free from the restrictive shuffle mode that defined the platform’s free tier for so long. This change marks a pivotal moment, aligning Spotify more closely with the user-centric philosophy championed by \u003Ca href=\"https://quasa.io/media/disney-caught-red-handed-years-of-illegally-harvesting-kids-data-on-youtube\">YouTube\u003C/a>. While ads will likely remain a staple of the free experience, the ability to curate playlists and choose songs directly caters to the diverse needs of its audience, signaling a newfound respect for those who opt not to pay.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>This pivot reflects a broader industry trend where the power of freemium users is undeniable. Platforms that once viewed free tiers as mere bait are now seeing them as a vital ecosystem that fuels engagement, word-of-mouth promotion, and eventual revenue through conversions. For \u003Ca href=\"https://quasa.io/media/spotify-users-complain-as-ai-generated-music-floods-streaming-platforms\">Spotify\u003C/a>, this move could strengthen its competitive edge, especially as it vies with YouTube Music and other rivals in the crowded streaming market. However, the challenge remains: balancing the needs of free users with the profitability of premium subscribers will require ongoing innovation and finesse.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Chr />\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Also read:\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cul>\n\t\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://quasa.io/media/spotify-boasts-subscriber-growth-but-reports-losses\">Spotify Boasts Subscriber Growth but Reports Losses\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\n\t\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://quasa.io/media/good-news-for-spotify-apple-finally-approves-long-awaited-update\">Good News for Spotify: Apple Finally Approves Long-Awaited Update\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\n\t\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://quasa.io/media/kajabi-s-10-billion-creator-payout-a-deep-dive-into-the-numbers\">Kajabi’s $10 Billion Creator Payout: A Deep Dive into the Numbers\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\n\u003C/ul>\n\n\u003Chr />\n\u003Cp>In the end, Spotify’s evolution underscores a hard-earned lesson — respecting free users isn’t just good ethics; it’s good business. As the streaming wars heat up, this shift could redefine how platforms engage their audiences, proving that a little flexibility can go a long way in building a loyal, thriving community.\u003C/p>","spotify-learns-a-lesson-free-users-are-the-engine-of-growth-thanks-to-youtube-s-influence","2025-09-15T15:03:18.000000Z","15.09.2025",{"image":81,"image_webp":82,"thumb":83,"thumb_webp":84},"https://cdn.quasa.io/images/news/mcBRL7r6dgfuMAqAsINBMW7ZT9FSxccTtLzunegg.jpg","https://cdn.quasa.io/images/news/mcBRL7r6dgfuMAqAsINBMW7ZT9FSxccTtLzunegg.webp","https://cdn.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/mcBRL7r6dgfuMAqAsINBMW7ZT9FSxccTtLzunegg.jpg","https://cdn.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/mcBRL7r6dgfuMAqAsINBMW7ZT9FSxccTtLzunegg.webp","large",null,950,0,"en",{"id":69,"title":65,"slug":66,"meta_title":91,"meta_description":92,"meta_keywords":93,"deleted_at":86,"created_at":94,"updated_at":95,"lang":89},"Quasa Media - Growth Hacking in Business","Business is a battlefield. In QUASA MEDIA you will find all the most useful articles on how to do business and not screw up.","Business, earn money, business strategy, business process","2021-08-03T10:59:17.000000Z","2024-08-25T15:45:11.000000Z",[97,112,125,138,150],{"title":98,"description":99,"slug":100,"created_at":101,"publish_at":102,"formatted_created_at":103,"category":104,"links":105,"view_type":110,"video_url":86,"views":18,"likes":88,"lang":89,"comments_count":88,"is_pinned":111},"Twitter Dev Builds “Stukach-Claw” — An AI Snitch Bot That’s Already Reported 4,250 People to the IRS for Tax Jokes","A crypto trader and developer known as @camolNFT has gone viral after revealing he built an autonomous AI agent called OpenClaw (affectionately dubbed Stukach-Claw by Russian-speaking users) that actively hunts for “jokes” about tax evasion on social media and automatically files whistleblower reports with the IRS.","twitter-dev-builds-stukach-claw-an-ai-snitch-bot-that-s-already-reported-4-250-people-to-the-irs-for-tax-jokes","2026-04-17T12:09:57.000000Z","2026-04-20T06:06:00.000000Z","20.04.2026",{"title":19,"slug":20},{"image":106,"image_webp":107,"thumb":108,"thumb_webp":109},"https://cdn.quasa.io/images/news/Bknfo3h65dH5eqJ5coCdgVsAxMYJsDIOPyZplmaX.jpg","https://cdn.quasa.io/images/news/Bknfo3h65dH5eqJ5coCdgVsAxMYJsDIOPyZplmaX.webp","https://cdn.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/Bknfo3h65dH5eqJ5coCdgVsAxMYJsDIOPyZplmaX.jpg","https://cdn.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/Bknfo3h65dH5eqJ5coCdgVsAxMYJsDIOPyZplmaX.webp","small",false,{"title":113,"description":114,"slug":115,"created_at":116,"publish_at":117,"formatted_created_at":103,"category":118,"links":119,"view_type":110,"video_url":86,"views":124,"likes":88,"lang":89,"comments_count":88,"is_pinned":111},"Baidu Drops ERNIE-Image: A Compact 8B Open-Source Text-to-Image Model That Tops the Charts","Baidu has just released ERNIE-Image — a new open-weight text-to-image generator that is already turning heads in the AI community.","baidu-drops-ernie-image-a-compact-8b-open-source-text-to-image-model-that-tops-the-charts","2026-04-17T11:57:35.000000Z","2026-04-20T03:44:00.000000Z",{"title":47,"slug":48},{"image":120,"image_webp":121,"thumb":122,"thumb_webp":123},"https://cdn.quasa.io/images/news/1QiOJcmqi34aQvnRfCwi97GmGUD4JPEukbjf4csU.jpg","https://cdn.quasa.io/images/news/1QiOJcmqi34aQvnRfCwi97GmGUD4JPEukbjf4csU.webp","https://cdn.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/1QiOJcmqi34aQvnRfCwi97GmGUD4JPEukbjf4csU.jpg","https://cdn.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/1QiOJcmqi34aQvnRfCwi97GmGUD4JPEukbjf4csU.webp",33,{"title":126,"description":127,"slug":128,"created_at":129,"publish_at":129,"formatted_created_at":130,"category":131,"links":132,"view_type":110,"video_url":86,"views":137,"likes":88,"lang":89,"comments_count":88,"is_pinned":111},"Cloudflare Just Made Email a First-Class Citizen for AI Agents — And Traditional Email Services Are Feeling It","On April 17, 2026, Cloudflare quietly turned a long-standing dream into reality: it moved Email Service into public beta and added full Email Sending alongside the years-old Email 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platforms to big corporations, Mozilla’s subsidiary MZLA Technologies has taken a very different route.","mozilla-nails-it-thunderbolt-brings-chatgpt-at-home-to-the-enterprise-without-vendor-lock-in","2026-04-19T15:37:27.000000Z",{"title":58,"slug":63},{"image":145,"image_webp":146,"thumb":147,"thumb_webp":148},"https://cdn.quasa.io/images/news/qaAODXSpJy6qpJc0eO9DQ2Y6ccJR1tlL5i3mN0kV.jpg","https://cdn.quasa.io/images/news/qaAODXSpJy6qpJc0eO9DQ2Y6ccJR1tlL5i3mN0kV.webp","https://cdn.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/qaAODXSpJy6qpJc0eO9DQ2Y6ccJR1tlL5i3mN0kV.jpg","https://cdn.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/qaAODXSpJy6qpJc0eO9DQ2Y6ccJR1tlL5i3mN0kV.webp",98,{"title":151,"description":152,"slug":153,"created_at":154,"publish_at":154,"formatted_created_at":130,"category":155,"links":156,"view_type":110,"video_url":86,"views":161,"likes":88,"lang":89,"comments_count":88,"is_pinned":111},"X Is Finally Cracking Down on Unlabeled Ads — And It’s Personal","For years, X (formerly 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word that means an enterpriser. Enterprisers are people who undertake a business or enterprise with the chance of earning profits or suffering from loss.","the-anatomy-of-an-entrepreneur","2021-08-04T15:18:21.000000Z","2025-12-14T06:09:00.000000Z","14.12.2025",{"title":65,"slug":66},{"image":172,"image_webp":86,"thumb":173,"thumb_webp":173},"https://cdn.quasa.io/images/news/mVsXPTMuHZuI7UXCsENgL1Qwp1uSOf7Rz3uVPMfm.webp","https://cdn.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/mVsXPTMuHZuI7UXCsENgL1Qwp1uSOf7Rz3uVPMfm.webp",70896,2,{"title":177,"description":178,"slug":179,"created_at":180,"publish_at":181,"formatted_created_at":182,"category":183,"links":184,"view_type":85,"video_url":86,"views":189,"likes":190,"lang":89,"comments_count":88,"is_pinned":111},"Advertising on QUASA","QUASA MEDIA is read by more than 400 thousand people a month. We offer to place your article, add a link or order the writing of an article for publication.","advertising-on-quasa","2022-07-06T07:33:02.000000Z","2025-12-15T17:33:02.000000Z","15.12.2025",{"title":58,"slug":63},{"image":185,"image_webp":186,"thumb":187,"thumb_webp":188},"https://cdn.quasa.io/images/news/45SvmdsTQbiyc3nxgbyHY1mpVbisYyub2BCHjqBL.jpg","https://cdn.quasa.io/images/news/45SvmdsTQbiyc3nxgbyHY1mpVbisYyub2BCHjqBL.webp","https://cdn.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/45SvmdsTQbiyc3nxgbyHY1mpVbisYyub2BCHjqBL.jpg","https://cdn.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/45SvmdsTQbiyc3nxgbyHY1mpVbisYyub2BCHjqBL.webp",70661,4,{"title":192,"description":193,"slug":194,"created_at":195,"publish_at":196,"formatted_created_at":197,"category":198,"links":199,"view_type":110,"video_url":86,"views":202,"likes":190,"lang":89,"comments_count":88,"is_pinned":111},"What is a Startup?","A startup is not a new company, not a tech company, nor a new tech company. You can be a new tech company, if your goal is not to grow high and fast; then, you are not a startup. ","what-is-a-startup","2021-08-04T12:05:17.000000Z","2025-12-17T13:02:00.000000Z","17.12.2025",{"title":65,"slug":66},{"image":200,"image_webp":86,"thumb":201,"thumb_webp":201},"https://cdn.quasa.io/images/news/EOsQhSW3VXyG7a6NPdE1oZd00xfJXe3bjY5aJGb7.webp","https://cdn.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/EOsQhSW3VXyG7a6NPdE1oZd00xfJXe3bjY5aJGb7.webp",68291,{"title":204,"description":205,"slug":206,"created_at":207,"publish_at":208,"formatted_created_at":209,"category":210,"links":211,"view_type":110,"video_url":86,"views":216,"likes":175,"lang":89,"comments_count":217,"is_pinned":111},"Top 5 Tips to Make More Money as a Content Creator","Content creators are one of the most desired job titles right now. Who wouldn’t want to earn a living online?","top-5-tips-to-make-more-money-as-a-content-creator","2022-01-17T17:31:51.000000Z","2026-01-17T11:30:00.000000Z","17.01.2026",{"title":19,"slug":20},{"image":212,"image_webp":213,"thumb":214,"thumb_webp":215},"https://cdn.quasa.io/images/news/gP8kiumBPpJmQv6SMieXiX1tDetx43VwFfO1P4Ca.jpg","https://cdn.quasa.io/images/news/gP8kiumBPpJmQv6SMieXiX1tDetx43VwFfO1P4Ca.webp","https://cdn.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/gP8kiumBPpJmQv6SMieXiX1tDetx43VwFfO1P4Ca.jpg","https://cdn.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/gP8kiumBPpJmQv6SMieXiX1tDetx43VwFfO1P4Ca.webp",42261,1,{"title":219,"description":220,"slug":221,"created_at":222,"publish_at":223,"formatted_created_at":224,"category":225,"links":226,"view_type":85,"video_url":86,"views":231,"likes":175,"lang":89,"comments_count":88,"is_pinned":111},"8 Logo Design Tips for Small Businesses","Your logo tells the story of your business and the values you stand for.","8-logo-design-tips-for-small-businesses","2021-12-04T21:59:52.000000Z","2025-05-05T03:30:00.000000Z","05.05.2025",{"title":15,"slug":16},{"image":227,"image_webp":228,"thumb":229,"thumb_webp":230},"https://cdn.quasa.io/images/news/Wbx2NtS1CnTupgoQbpFMGspJ5jm4uob2hDOq33r0.jpg","https://cdn.quasa.io/images/news/Wbx2NtS1CnTupgoQbpFMGspJ5jm4uob2hDOq33r0.webp","https://cdn.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/Wbx2NtS1CnTupgoQbpFMGspJ5jm4uob2hDOq33r0.jpg","https://cdn.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/Wbx2NtS1CnTupgoQbpFMGspJ5jm4uob2hDOq33r0.webp",41355,[233,234,235,236,237,238,239,240,241,242,243,244,245],{"title":23,"slug":24},{"title":47,"slug":48},{"title":55,"slug":56},{"title":43,"slug":44},{"title":51,"slug":52},{"title":31,"slug":32},{"title":35,"slug":36},{"title":27,"slug":28},{"title":19,"slug":20},{"title":15,"slug":16},{"title":58,"slug":63},{"title":11,"slug":12},{"title":65,"slug":66}]